


Trial by Fire

by AsMyWimseyTakesMe



Series: Bits and Bobs [7]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Gen, How did Prompto become Crownsguard anyway?, Kingsglaive cameos, This fandom has EATEN MY BRAIN, non-consensual drugging, pre-game, some violence, unbetaed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-17 01:10:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9297587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsMyWimseyTakesMe/pseuds/AsMyWimseyTakesMe
Summary: In which kidnappers think Noctis is an easy target.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This fandom has EATEN MY BRAIN, y'all. I haven't even finished the game (SIDEQUESTS. Sidequests EVERYWHERE), and suddenly I'm writing a one-shot about how Noctis' best friend may have ended up in his Crownsguard (because of course they haven't told us how this happened; not yet, at least).
> 
> This was a prompt fic for the prompt _gun_. It was also knocked out in an hour, which was all the time I had for writing in between cleaning/cooking/working the past few days, and is unbetaed. So bear with any weird mistakes, yeah?

“Gods, am I glad it’s the weekend!” Prompto stretched upwards. Noctis grunted his agreement and yawned.

“Yeah. I’m tired.”

“You’re always tired!” Prompto laughed and slung an arm over Noctis’ shoulders. “Insomnia’s own narcoleptic prince. You’ll fall asleep on the throne itself, at this rate." 

Prompto felt Noctis hunch as they walked into a wooded park. He slid around in front of Noctis and stared at the brunet, who flushed. 

“No way! You did?” 

“I had to sit in a full Council session, complete with thrones, at seven am.” Noctis mumbled. “What did they expect?”

“How old were you, dude?” 

Noctis shifted his gaze. “…it was last week.” 

Prompto burst into laughter and Noctis groaned, socking the blond in the arm. “Shut up! All those old men are so _boring_ , okay? It just happened!” 

“Well, you’re only sixteen.” Prompto observed sagely. “You’ve got time to get used to it, I guess.”

Noctis laughed. “Like you have room to talk, you can’t sit still in class for anything. And—” His eyes snapped to the side.

“Noct?” 

Noctis threw himself against Prompto, bearing them both to the ground. Prompto hit the leaves with a wheeze, and a moment later, there was a hollow _boom_ of sound and heat surrounded them. Noctis forced Prompto’s head into the ground, and Prompto wrapped a hand in his friend’s jacket. He could feel splinters hitting their clothing. Flames flickered in the corners of his eyes. 

_Holy shit, that was a bomb!_  

The heat ceased. Prompto’s ears were ringing, but Noctis was already on his feet. He felt the prince grab his arm and haul him upright. 

“Run!” Noctis shoved him in the direction of the nearest street. Prompto blinked and stumbled. There were figures coming out of the smoke, treading over splintered trees and crushing burned flowers. They were carrying swords. Noctis snarled and held out his hand. 

Prompto sucked in a breath as the tingling sensation from earlier intensified; every hair on his body seemed to stand on end. A blue glow coalesced around Noctis’ hand, and a sword blinked into existence and fell into his palm. As soon as the sword touched Noctis’ skin, the tingles disappeared. 

“Go, Prompto! Run and call the Palace!” Noctis swung his sword with a roar, and the first figure parried. The attackers wore dull yellow leather and full-face masks, and were focused on Noctis, completely ignoring the blond. 

“Right!” Prompto wrenched himself away and ran for the park’s edge. The retort of a gun sent a shiver of dread through him. He whirled around; Noctis was on his knees, clutching his right arm. Blood was staining the sleeve. The attackers were advancing and another gunshot brought a cry of denial from Prompto. This one, however, left a strange syringe in Noctis’ leg. The brunet groaned and collapsed. 

_Kidnapping. They want him alive._  

Prompto felt fury surge through his veins as his best—his only—friend fell to the ground. He dashed forward and body-checked the closest attacker into a nearby tree. He was slight, but the attacker, taken by surprise, cracked his head against the tree and toppled over. 

There were three others. The first swordsman swung at Prompto. He yelped and ducked. When he came back up, all three attackers were staring at him, their masks eerily expressionless. He swallowed hard. His hand twitched against his thigh, the tingle in his wrist returning. He had no weapon. Prompto was a civilian, not Crystal-powered Crownsguard. He couldn’t summon the small pistol on his desk or any of the knives in his kitchen. 

Prompto knew that his friend, as dismissive as he was of his position, was important for more than one reason—something about the Crystal and the Oracle—and Prompto knew damn well that he needed to stall until the police (and possibly the Crownsguard) arrived. 

He could totally be distracting. 

Prompto dodged the swordsman’s second attack, only to throw himself backwards when the second swordsman charged him. Prompto scrambled out of the way and the sword gouged through the dirt. 

“Dude, that was your best shot? I know kids faster than you.” Prompto was proud of the way his voice didn’t shake. “You know, you ought to fire your fashion designer. Yellow? Really?” 

A line of fire raked across his leg and Prompto yelled in pain. His leg buckled and he fell next to Noctis. Prompto swore. He had forgotten the gunman! Fucking hell! He glanced over at Noctis; the other boy’s eyes were open, wide and worried and furious.

A hand grabbed Prompto’s jacket and tossed him across the clearing. He hit the ground and rolled, his head smacking against a broken branch. He blinked and coughed. His leg was slowly bleeding red through his slacks. As his vision cleared, he saw one of the swordsmen haul Noctis over his shoulder.

_No. Nononono…_  

Prompto reached out, groping for something, anything. He could hear the sirens, they only needed a few moments! 

His hand closed on metal. 

It was a gun, small and cold and silver. Without a second thought, Prompto swung his arm up and pulled the trigger.

 

***

 

Cor Leonis stepped into the clearing and surveyed the devastation after the ambulances and attending guards left. The remnants of the explosion were covered in a film of frost. His boots crunched the frozen splinters. 

“He managed to call Frostburn out of the Royal Vault _and_ use it.” Nyx Ulric whistled beside him. “That gun hasn’t been used in almost sixty years, I looked it up.” 

“He has promise.” Cor agreed. He stopped next to a clear spot in the frost. He stared down at a bloodstain for a long moment. “We should ensure the boy has some training. And perhaps you would speak to Ignis about some new Crownsguard uniforms. Just in case.” 

“Hm.” Nyx nodded. “Titus won’t like that.” 

Cor snorted. “Prince Noctis has such trust in Prompto Argentum that he was able to access the Crystal’s power without induction into the Crownsguard. Titus can kiss my ass.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed! Can you tell Prompto is probably my favorite?
> 
> Actually, I can't choose. All four of these boys are my sweet cinnamon rolls.
> 
> About _A Light from the Shadows_ : YES, it will be finished. I have the final chapter three-fifths done, honest! I'm just dealing with a touch of writer's block, combined with new job/moving to a new city/a pair of manic cats. So, it'll be done, but I don't have a concrete time for it. Sorry!
> 
> **About the gun:** Frostburn is not an actual gun in the game, I made it up. Though it would be a cool one. :D


End file.
